Happy Birthday, Baby
by fieldagent85
Summary: Elizabeth Bartlet makes a shocking announcement to her parents on the evening of her 16th birthday.
1. Chapter 1

May 17th, 1987 Washington, D.C.

State Representative Jed Bartlet returned home from the Hill at 7pm, exhausted from a long day at work. He had been working with environmental lobbyists, which was always a chore for him and all the other Reps. He had hoped to be home early on that particular night, as it was his eldest daughter's 16th birthday, but it just didn't pan out. He wasn't expecting to get a warm greeting when he walked in the door- the Bartlet women were known to hold a grudge and his tardiness wasn't going to go down well with them, he was sure. Instead, he came home to a completely empty house. He was surprised; his wife had planned a fairly large gathering at the house in honor of the birthday girl and there was no way in hell it would be over by 7 o'clock, not with their relatives in attendance. Jed looked around curiously before noticing a note on the side table by the front door from whence he came. He was nervous as he unfolded the paper and read its contents.

Jed, We moved the party to the Sheraton, last minute. Long story, but I'll tell you it has to do with me and the kitchen. We're at war. Anyway, party's in the ballroom. Please don't be too late.

Love,  
Abbey

The Sheraton Hotel? He couldn't imagine what that must be costing him. But, he should have figured something would go wrong when his wife told him she would be preparing the food on her own. He slowly ascended the stairs, loosening his tie on the way. He really wasn't looking forward to this party. All he wanted to do that night was sleep. But sleep just wasn't in the cards…

Jed could hear the music from inside the building as he pulled into the parking lot of the Sheraton Hotel. He got out of the car and listened. It took him a minute before he recognized Frank Sinatra's voice, singing "Night and Day"  
"Yep, that's Abbey for ya. This must be the place. Bartlet, party of sixty-two," he said to himself, preparing an excuse for his lateness as he walked to the entrance. When he entered the ballroom, he was shocked at the amount of people inside. He was sure Abbey had said only sixty-two. This was definitely closer to one hundred. Part of him wasn't surprised at all. Abbey always made birthdays a big deal, and for their first born's sweet sixteen, it made perfect sense for her to throw an all-out soiree. He looked around and saw very few familiar faces at first glance. He knew the Bartlet clan, as well as Abbey's side of the family, was mixed in there somewhere but he just couldn't make any of them out. The first person he recognized was his six-year-old daughter, Zoey. She was sitting at a table talking with another child who looked about her age. Jed watched his with amusement as she threw a cookie at the little boy. She was so shy most of the time, and then without warning she would develop spunk and suddenly "start bitching people out," as his wife so aptly put it. And she oughta know- Zoey got that side of her from her mother. He walked over to her and put his hands over her eyes.  
"Daddy!" She exclaimed, turning around and hugging him. "How's the party?" Jed asked her. "Fun. But this music…yuck"  
"Hey, don't look at me. That's your mother's doing." "Then make her stop it, Daddy, it's…ow"  
"I know, sweetheart, I know. But you know what happens when I argue with Mommy?" Jed questioned her knowingly.  
"She puts you in the dog house," Zoey recited, rolling her eyes. She still had no idea what that meant, but she knew it put both her parents in the foulest of moods.  
"That's right. You go talk her about the music. She won't put you in the dog house"  
Zoey eyes widened. The thought of her mother putting her in the dog house, whatever that was, never occurred to her. She ran away, leaving Jed laughing. Exhausted still, Jed sat down in the seat that Zoey had just vacated. He picked up her fork and dug into her leftover cake. It took less than a minute for him to realize what that meant-he had missed the advent of the cake, the extinguishing of the candles, the singing of happy birthday. Uh oh. Abbey was not going to be in a good mood after he'd missed that. "Hey," a mysterious voice whispered in his ear from behind him. Jed turned around to see his wife standing there, grinning from ear to ear.  
"Hey, beautiful. What are you smiling about?" But he was relieved. He had expected to be lectured and there she was- smiling at him. Very peculiar indeed.  
She sat down in the chair next to him and they faced each other.  
"I'm just in a good mood, is that ok with you?" She asked, sounding annoyed.  
"No, it's not," Jed answered, sarcastically, turning back to his cake. He just wasn't feeling the banter tonight.  
"What's the matter with you"  
"Nothing. Long day"  
"Lobbyists"  
"Yep. Just can't catch a break from them this year," he replied, shoving cake into his mouth pitifully.  
"Awe. I'm sorry, honey. Anything I can do"  
He eyed her suspiciously. "You're scaring me"  
"Why, because I'm concerned about my husband"  
"Yes"  
"Ok, I guess I had better tell you this now," she said, almost in a whisper.  
"Tell me what?" "The birthday girl wants to have a word with us after the party"  
"Liz wants to…talk to us?" Jed repeated.  
"Uh huh"  
"Our teenage daughter wants to talk to her parents? Wants to"  
"I believe those were her words. 'I want to talk to you and Dad after the party"  
"Wow. That is good news." "Don't you get what this means?" Abbey asked, anxiously.  
"Mmm…no. Can't say I do." "It means she's probably agreed to go to that Global Youth Leaders convention. The thing she was nominated for, remember"  
"Yeah, yeah, I remember. That's for youth leaders right"  
"No, it's for cocaine addicts. Yes, it's for youth leaders, Jed! Teenagers with leadership potential," she explained. "Right. Well, good. She should go to that." "Why are you not more excited about this?" "Because last time I checked, she didn't want to go, Abbey. She's not interested in politics," Jed replied.  
"But she'd be perfect. She'll make a great political leader someday"  
"Not if she doesn't want to"  
"Well, we'll see. In the meantime, my mother's been asking for you," Abbey said.  
"Your mother? Why not mine"  
"Because she doesn't love you anymore"  
"Nice, Abbey." "Seriously, though. Go talk to my mother. She needs some legal advice," she explained.  
"She does realize I'm not a lawyer nor do I have any sort of degree in Law, right"  
"You're the closest thing she's got, Jed"  
"What did she do"  
"She didn't do anything," Abbey replied, defensively.  
"Then what does she need legal advice for"  
"I don't know, she wouldn't tell me. She says my medical license doesn't qualify me to discuss matters of a legal nature. Quote unquote." Jed sighed.  
"Ok, I'll go talk to her"  
"Thank you"  
"Where are the girls? Besides Zoey." "It's a party, Jed, I don't know where they are. Mingling, I suppose," she answered, matter-of-factly.  
"Sure they're not out getting wasted? Cuz I know Ellie's been hitting the bottle a lot lately"  
"Yes, Jed. Our eleven-year-old daughter has been out boozing and selling her soul to the devil." "You never know," he said, shrugging. "Ok, I'll see you later." He slowly stood from his chair. "Ok. Have fun." She grinned at him cunningly. She knew he was dreading having a lengthy conversation with his mother-in-law.  
"Oh yeah." He started to turn away, then looked back at her.  
"Looking good tonight, by the way," he said.  
She winked at him.  
"You're not so bad yourself"  
He smiled.  
"See ya." 


	2. Chapter 2

An hour or so later, around 9:30pm, the party was still going full swing. The only person who had left was Jed's 91-year-old grandmother, who had a curfew to keep at the retirement home she lived in nearby. Coincedentally, she was one of very few family members who lived in DC. Jed and Abbey had a few relatives surrounding them, in Pennsylvania, Maryland, and Virginia, but the majority of them lived in New England and had to fly in just for Elizabeth's birthday. It was worth it to them though. Both Jed and Abbey's sides of the family felt very strongly about their familiaral ties, and Elizabeth Bartlet's sixteenth birthday was certainly a worthy occasion for a reunion. Jed loved his family more than he loved his own life, but most of the time he was grateful to be away from them in Washington. He liked living mostly in solitude with just Abbey and the girls. He thought it gave him the ability to examine family situations from a fair standpoint. Or that was his excuse at least. Jed was dancing to Mel Torme with Abbey's older sister, Julia, and actually having a good conversation. The whole extended family thing tired him sometimes, always the same old stuff, never anything exciting. But Julia was a breed all her own. She was like Abbey in the sense that she was a wild, free spirit, spitfire type. She taught political science at Boston College and apparently loved bringing her brother-in-law up in her lectures. The difference between Abbey and Julia was that Julia's capacity to love was lacking. She couldn't keep a relationship more than a few months (even that was pushing it) and said she would die before she had children. She wasn't the nurturing type, and that was self-proclaimed. Jed, however, found her loads more interesting than Abbey's younger sister, Michelle, who was quiet, submissive, and frankly just too nice for Jed's taste. Jed often wondered how Michelle had survived in a house with Abbey and Julia for so many years without being trampled by their larger-than-life personalities.  
"So. How's life on the Hill, Representative?" Julia questioned, pointedly.  
"It's life. Not the most enjoyable way I could spend my time, but luckily I've got Abbey and the girls to come home to, so I'm doing just great." "That's nice to hear." Jed couldn't tell if she was being sincere or sarcastic. Like Abbey, Julia had the uncanny ability to change tones at the drop of a hat. "What about you?" He asked her.  
"What about me"  
"How are things"  
"Things…things are good. Thank you," she added as an afterthought. "Quite welcome." "Hey, Jed, can I ask you a question"  
"Not if it's about legal advice," Jed answered, smiling.  
"It's not"  
"Then of course you can"  
"Well, I was going to ask Abbey this, but I knew she wouldn't be straight with me." "Abbey not be straight with you? You know her better than that," Jed laughed.  
"No, she'd beat around the bush. She feels sorry for me"  
"Julia, Abbey doesn't feel sorry for anyone but the poor kids in third-world countries who don't have anything." "Jed, will you stop arguing with me and just let me ask you this"  
"By all means, ask away," he said, invitingly. "Ok." She took a deep breath. "How come you and my sister have managed to stay married for twenty years and I can't make it past three months with a man"  
Jed wasn't sure how to respond to a question like that. He and Abbey had been asked numerous times how they managed to achieve longevity, but it was usually in good spirits. Julia was obviously distraught. "Well, I don't know about you, Julia. But Abbey and I have been married so long because…well, that's what you do when you love someone"  
"That can't be why. I've loved people. People have loved me. And where am I now? I'm so far from the altar that I can't even remember what it looks like"  
"Sorry, I should have expanded on that. That's what you do when you love someone enough." "What's enough"  
"Enough that you never want to be with anyone else, ever. Enough that you can't imagine life without them. Enough that you're willing to deal with the bad as well as the good, every single day"  
There were tears in Julia's eyes, but she pleaded with him to continue.  
"Please, Jed"  
"Julia, I…well, what do you want me to say? Look, I'm gonna cut right to the chase here. A marriage can't work unless you wake up every morning, look beside you and smile with gratitude. Just because the person you love is there. They don't even have to do anything and you're overwhelmed by how much you truly…cherish them"  
With that, Julia began to cry. Jed had never seen his sister-in-law like this before and it truly took him by surprise.  
"Julia"  
"Why do you love her?" She asked, bluntly.  
"What"  
"Why. Why do you love her?" "In…general or as opposed to something?" He asked in return. "As opposed to, say, me"  
Jed paused, his jaw slightly dropped.  
"Hold on. Julia, what are you"  
"Oh, don't be an egomaniac, Jed. I don't have feelings for you like that, I'm just trying to figure out what's so wrong with me that I'm forty-five and unmarried while my little sister is forty-one and has been married twenty years.That's all," Julia explained. "I really don't know how to answer that question." "Come on." "You do believe in fate"  
"No"  
"Then maybe that's the problem," Jed replied.  
"What"  
"See, I believe that there's one person for everyone. It's a very corny and outdated theory but…it worked for me, so I have no reason not to believe in it"  
"God, she's lucky." "Yeah, well, I'm not denying it." He laughed. "Cheer up, kid. Things'll turn around"  
She put a stop to the dancing and smiled at him.  
"Go find Abbey. Hearing all those things you just said, I don't want to keep you away from her any longer. If I were this lucky, I wouldn't leave him alone for a second"  
Jed was truly touched. It was rare that he, or anyone really, made an emotional connection with the very thick-skinned, aloof Julia. He hugged her.  
"You'll find someone. Don't you worry your pretty little head about it." He winked at her. "Go," she ordered, smiling through the tears that had dried on her cheek.  
He did as he was told. He walked around the room, waving and smiling at the people he passed, looking for his wife. Instead of finding her, he found his middle daughter, when she jumped on his back from behind. When she jumped off, he turned around.  
"Hi, Daddy"  
"Hello, Miss Eleanor. What are you up to?" "Mmm, nothing"  
"Would you happen to know where I can find your darling mother?" Jed asked her. "Last time I saw her she was talking with Uncle Leo over by the buffet," Ellie answered.  
"Thank you," he said, rushing off.  
"But that was like an hour ago!" She shouted from behind him. "Great. Thank you so much, Ellie"  
Ellie laughed and Jed continued to look for his ever-elusive wife. When he finally found her, she was standing in a crowd with his aunt and uncle and two of his cousins. He hadn't noticed when they'd spoken earlier, but she was wearing one of his favorite of her dresses. It was a tight, light purple dress with thin spaghetti straps that cut off just above her knees and twirled whenever she walked. Jed walked up behind her and pushed his way into the small circle they had made.  
"Excuse me for interrupting, all, but I was wondering if I might steal my wife from you for just a moment"  
"Well, she'll be sorely missed," his uncle Matthew said. "Go on then," Aunt Lenora insisted.  
"Thank you." He took Abbey's hand and whirled her out onto the dance floor, noticing her dress twirl as he did so. The song was "I Guess That's Why They Call It the Blues" by Elton John and it was one of Abbey's favorites. "Where have you been all night?" She asked him, curiously, as they danced.  
"I might ask you the same thing"  
"I've been mingling"  
"I've been making the rounds"  
She sighed.  
"I love how it's 'mingling' to me, but 'making the rounds' to you. You make it sound like a chore"  
"Well at least my rounds brought me to you eventually," he said. "How sweet," she said, rolling her eyes. "So, who've you been talking to"  
"Oh, coincedentally"  
"What"  
"Your sister"  
"Which one?" Abbey questioned.  
"Julia"  
"You were talking with Julia"  
"And dancing with her. We had a very…interesting conversation"  
"Oh, Lord. What does that mean"  
"She wanted to know why I love you"  
"No"  
"Oh, yes, dear"  
"Why did she want to know that!" Abbey exclaimed.  
"She was trying to figure out why we've been married twenty years and she can't hold onto a man period"  
"Did you tell her it was because she's a judgmental whore? Which isn't normal because whores don't earn the right to be judgmental"  
"Mmm, no, I thought I'd leave that to you"  
"Well, what did you tell her"  
"I couldn't possibly repeat it all. But I'll have you know, she was reduced to tears by the end of my speech"  
"Because you were a jackass or because you were being romantic"  
"Romantic, naturalment," he replied, mockingly. "Well!" "Then she told me how wonderful I was and how she didn't want to keep me away from you any longer"  
"Jed"  
"I know it, babe. You feel the same way. Admit it. I'm wonderful." He grinned, self-confidence oozing out of him.  
"Can't argue with that." They danced in a silent rhythm for a few minutes, and then Jed asked, "Hey, have you seen Liz tonight"  
"Well, yeah, of course I've seen Liz tonight," Abbey answered. "I mean recently. I've only seen her once all night"  
"Hmm. I guess that means she's enjoying herself." "I guess." 


	3. Chapter 3

Three hours later, it was after midnight and most of the guests had retreated. The only people left were Jed, Abbey, Liz, Ellie, Zoey, and Julia. Technically, they had paid the hotel to clean up, but they didn't feel right leaving without at least helping a little. Zoey was sleeping in a chair, Ellie was eating leftovers of cake, and Liz was sitting in the corner ruminating. "Hey, Abbey," Julia called, speed walking up to her.  
"Yeah"  
"Look over there," she said, pointing to Liz.  
"Yeah"  
"It's Liz"  
"I know it's Liz, Julia, but what about her"  
"Something's wrong with her." "It's been a long night, she's fine." "If you say so." Jed walked over to them, holding open a trash bag. Abbey threw in some soiled paper plates and napkins.  
"Hey, look at Liz," Julia said to him.  
"Jul, give it up!" Abbey insisted.  
"What about her?" Jed asked. "She look ok to you"  
"She looks a little tired but"  
"You guys are jaded," Julia commented.  
Before Abbey and Jed could respond, Liz walked over to the three of them.  
"Mom, Dad, could I talk to you now?" Liz questioned, nervously.  
"Sure, honey. Julia, will you stay here with Ellie and Zoey for a few minutes?" Abbey asked.  
"Yeah, go ahead." Abbey, Jed, and Liz walked off to a little room near the ballroom. Jed and Abbey sat down on a couch and Liz stood in front of them.  
"Are ya gonna sit down?" Jed asked her.  
"Uh, no, I don't think so. I think I should stand," Liz answered.  
Jed thought she seemed remarkably grown-up, but she was still his little girl and he didn't like the fact that she was wearing a mini-skirt and tank top- even if she was wearing a jacket over it. Her hair was a deep, almost brown, auburn color and it was cut so that it only reached her chin. She styled it so that it was uneven and flipped up at places, a more punk than oldschool look. Liz was your typical '80's teenager, complete with dark makeup and a plethora of punk accessories. Abbey couldn't stand the wait any longer.  
"Sweetie, is this about the Global Youth Leadership convention?" She questioned, anxiously. "Uh, no, Mom…it's really not," Liz answered.  
Jed looked over at his wife and almost laughed, but Abbey was clearly disappointed.  
"Just tell us, Liz, the suspense is killing me," Jed said. "Um…yeah. Ok. Wow"  
"Come on, Liz, just say it. It can't be that hard," Abbey said.  
"You have no idea"  
"Then tell us already"  
"Ok, let me just give my speech first," Liz insisted.  
Jed and Abbey sighed, but consented.  
"I just want to say that I know this is hard and I don't expect you to be thrilled or anything. You can be mad, it's ok, I understand. I mean, I look around at Ellie and Zoey and see how young they are and then I think about me and I'm just…wow. I can't believe this is happening to me"  
"Liz, you're scaring us," Abbey said, worry plain in her voice. "I know, I'm sorry, I just…can't find a way to come clean about this and just say it and be straight"  
"You really need to try, honey, or we're both gonna have heart attacks," Jed said. "Ok. Let's just say…ohhh…" She moaned unpleasantly at the thought of having to tell her parents her secret. "Let's just say that Zoey is going to be the youngest aunt in the history of the world." Jed and Abbey held their breaths, then looked at each other. No. She couldn't mean that. They must have misunderstood what their sixteen-year-old daughter was trying to tell them. "I'm sorry, what?" Abbey said, in a daze.  
"I said I'm…well, I'm…pregnant"  
Her parents sat perfectly still, staring straight ahead, jaws hanging wide open in utter shock. They were speechless. "Guys, say something. Please." So many thoughts were swirling through their minds at that moment; it seemed impossible to coherently put together any kind of sentence. Then, Abbey tried to speak, but no words would come out. "Mom?" "Uh…I…you…you're"  
"Yes. I am." "I…I don't…what!" Suddenly, Jed spoke, albeit quietly.  
"I…I don't understand"  
"You don't understand what, Dad?" Liz was trying to be as understanding as she could, given the situation. The last thing she wanted to do was hurt her parents.  
"I don't understand how the HELL this happened!" Jed exclaimed. "I'm not gonna tell you how it happens, Dad, you know how it happens. You've got three kids for God's sake." "No, I don't understand how this happened to you"  
"Jed…" Abbey said, with warning in her voice. But he continued.  
"How could you let his happen, Elizabeth? You…you must have been fifteen when you…you…you know!" "Well, yeah. I mean, it wasn't something we planned"  
"We? Who the hell is we!" Jed shouted.  
"Come on, Dad, you don't think I could get myself knocked up on my own, do ya"  
"Liz, this is really not the best time to show off your comedic flair," Abbey said, hardly looking at her daughter. "What the hell ever happened to abstinence!" Jed cried out, his anger obviously getting the best of him.  
"I told you, we didn't plan it"  
"Don't give me that bullshit, Elizabeth, that's no excuse"  
"I know it's not an excuse but"  
"Who is he"  
"Who is who?" Elizabeth asked.  
"Who do you think"  
"Oh. Ben Silverman"  
"You've gotta be kidding me. You have GOT to be KIDDING me! His son-of-a-bitch father is one of the Republican Senators on the Hill. Jesus Christ," Jed said, losing control. He hardly even knew where he was anymore. His head was spinning.  
"Jed, don't"  
"Where are your morals, Elizabeth Bartlet? I thought you said you were going to abstain"  
"Mom wasn't a virgin when you guys got married!" Liz exclaimed, finally getting angry herself. "Well, your mother wasn't brought up in the church like you were. I practiced abstinence until I got married"  
"I'm not you, Dad!" "No. You most certainly are not"  
"Jed"  
"WHAT"  
Abbey patted his hand and stood up.  
"Come on, let's go home"  
"I am not leaving this room until this is resolved!" He protested, stubbornly.  
"Jed, this is a problem with no solution. We're not going to get anywhere with this. Let's just go home, cool down, and we'll all sit and talk about this in the morning when we've had a chance to gather our thoughts." Liz nodded.  
"I think that's a good idea," she said.  
"Fine," Jed agreed, reluctantly, standing up.  
"There we go. Come on," Abbey said, putting her hand on his shoulder and leading him out of the room.  
When they re-entered the ballroom, Elizabeth trailing far behind, they found Ellie and Zoey sitting with Julia, ready to go. "Hey, Julia," Abbey whispered to her sister. "Do me a favor and drive Liz home for me"  
"What about the other girls"  
"I'll take them with me. Jed's gonna take his car"  
"Why can't either of you take Liz?" Julia asked.  
"Just…please take her, Julia. I don't think I can see her right now," Abbey admitted. "Just drop her off at our house and ask her to go to straight to her room"  
"Ok, sure, whatever you want. You'll tell me tomorrow"  
"Yeah," Abbey answered. "Tomorrow"  
"Ok. Liz, come on." Abbey walked over to Ellie and Zoey and told them to go wait in the car, and they complied without question. They could tell something was up. Once they were gone, Abbey approached Jed and put her hand on his arm.  
"You drive your car home and just blow off some steam. I'll take the girls with me so you can have some time to yourself to think. We'll talk about this when you get home"  
"Ok," he agreed, softly.  
"Ok," she smiled, reassuringly, then left. 


	4. Chapter 4

It began to rain lightly as Jed drove home. Abbey was right; he needed to blow off steam. And it was better he did it driving than taking it out on the kids at home. He could be very unpleasant in a bad mood. He could not believe the situation his daughter had gotten herself into. Elizabeth was always a little rebellious, but never to the point where her parents had to worry about her or be concerned about her future. She did well at school, seemed to have many friends (apparently one too many), and was a comparatively happy teenager. She never really had steady boyfriends, or at least none her parents knew of. They knew she went out with guys, and they didn't object because they trusted her. Apparently they were wrong to do so. Elizabeth Bartlet was not a religious fanatic. She attended church each Sunday with her parents, and on holidays, and she believed in most of the bible. She doubted a few of the lessons taught in it because they seemed unrealistic, but Jed always reminded her that God didn't teach them because they were realistic; God was an idealist, at least the way Jed saw it. Liz and Abbey had had "the talk" when she was thirteen and Liz told her mother that she had every intention of practicing abstinence, so they never worried. There was just something so…hurtful to him about what she did. As if she did it personally to hurt her parents. Something about their professions- Jed being a politician and almost-priest and Abbey being a doctor- made it seemed like she'd betrayed them on numerous levels, not just as her parents. Deep down, Jed knew she hadn't done it on purpose to shame them, or on purpose at all. Liz would never do a thing like that. But then, he never thought she would have sex before marriage either. Especially not sex at fifteen. He would have been upset, but not quit as outraged, if she'd been eighteen or nineteen. At least then she would have been a legal adult. Part of him wanted to track down this Ben Silverman and take him to court for sleeping with his underage daughter. However, Jed's rage didn't go so far as to ruin his life when he was certain Elizabeth had given her consent. Not only would that have ruined the boy's life, but his entire family's lives, including his father, Senator Evan Silverman. Jed felt vengeful, but he would never act upon it. Jed couldn't even think of the future of this whole situation. He was too upset to think that far ahead. He would deal with that another day, far from now, he hoped. Or he could just assign Abbey to think of the future, and he would deal with the present. Seemed easy enough. He pulled into his driveway just as the rain began to really come down on him. He grabbed an old copy of The Wall Street Journal that had been left in his car, held it over his head and ran into the house, preparing for a long and detailed conversation with his wife.

Once they got home, it hadn't taken long for Abbey to get Ellie and Zoey ready for bed. They were exhausted and had both fallen asleep on the car ride home. Thankfully, Julia had gotten Liz home before she and the girls arrived. Abbey had stood by the door to Liz's room, heard her music blasting, and knew she was in there safe and sound. Other than that, Abbey didn't think she could tolerate seeing her daughter at that moment. Not because she was angry, because she felt betrayed and embarassed by Liz's actions. Tomorrow she would be fine, but not tonight. Tonight, she had to prepare to have what would probably be all night conversation with her husband and that took skill and energy. Thank God the next day was Saturday and they had no set engagements. She was willing to be completely understanding with him tonight, not her normal argumentive self, because she knew how much harder this was on Jed than on herself. Jed was a very religious man, and quite the father figure at that. The combination of those two things was not going to be benevolent and Abbey realized that the moment Liz said she was pregnant. When Jed walked in the door, soaked from the rain, Abbey was sitting on the couch in the living room waiting for him.  
"Hey," he said. "Raining pretty hard out there?" She asked.  
"Yeah. I'm gonna run uptairs and change, then I'll be back down"  
"Ok." He jogged up the stairs and, on the way to his room, passed by Liz's and heard her music. He stopped and listened for a moment, remembering the days when the only music heard from that room was Simon & Garfunkal, not all this Madonna stuff. For once, Jed actually recognized the song. It was "Papa Don't Preach" and he knew exactly why Liz was playing it. He knew she was hoping he would walk by and hear it. Once he'd change his clothes, Jed headed back down to the living room. He sat down on the couch next to his wife, who threw her legs over on top of his lap, inched closer, and then lay the side of her head against his shoulder and he put his arm around her.  
"What are you thinking?" She asked, quietly. "My brain is swamped with a million different thoughts. I don't even know," he answered, with frustration. "Are you mad at Liz"  
"Yeah, I'm mad at Liz"  
"But are you mad in the sense that you're going to give her the silent treatment in the morning"  
"Probably not," he answered, ruminating. "Which part of this is bothering you the most? Is it the priest inside you somewhere or the father"  
"Both"  
"Which one takes precedence"  
"I think they're pretty much even, Abigail." "Well. I guess we should get right down to it. What are we gonna we do?" Abbey questioned, lifting her head to look him the eyes. "I don't know. Do we punish her? Do we support her"  
"What are we gonna do, Jed, ground her until she has the baby?" Abbey asked, sarcastically.  
The thought of his baby actually having a baby hit him hard. He didn't respond.  
"Are you upset that her life is going to be changed forever when she has this baby so young, or are you upset that she had sex?" "Well, I'm disappointed about her future. I'm upset that she had sex. I can't believe she had sex. I can't even say she had sex," he answered, distraught. "It's not right, Abbey"  
"I know it's not," she answered, sighing. "And you're not the best influence in the world!" He stated.  
"Ok, I did not lose my virginity at fifteen. I was eighteen and officially an adult. Big difference," Abbey argued. "Well, I lost mine when I was twenty-two and married"  
"Are you saying this is my fault?" Abbey questioned in disbelief.  
"No," he said, quietly. "I'm sorry. It's not your fault." "Look, how about we"  
She was cut off.  
"How come you're not more upset about this!" Jed exclaimed. "I'm not sure," she answered, truthfully. "I'm thinking maybe it's a girl thing"  
"You know what disturbs me? The fact that just three years ago, you were pregnant. And now our daughter is. There is just something off about that." Abbey had had a miscarriage three years earlier, a few years after Zoey was born. She nodded. "What happens if you get pregnant again? Then you'll both be pregnant"  
Abbey laughed.  
"I really don't think that's gonna happen, Jed"  
"But it could. Biologically, it could. And I don't like it." "Apparently"  
He tightened his arm around her and she knew he was really hurting. "So, how do you want handle this, Jed?" Abbey asked, softly.  
"Well, I don't know how I feel about having another baby around this house"  
"You were just talking about if I were to get pregnant again...we'd have a baby around the house then and you wouldn't complain. Well, at least this not this much." "Abbey, what about school!" He exclaimed, out of nowhere.  
"I don't know"  
"How is she going to go to school and raise a child at the same time"  
"I don't know"  
"We're sure as hell not taking care of that kid. We have very demanding jobs, Abbey"  
"I know"  
"What then"  
"I wish I knew," she answered. "We could call in back-up"  
"Meaning"  
"I don't know, I thought you would know what that meant"  
"I don't know what that means!" "Well, neither do I," he said.  
"Ok then, always helpful. Wait a second. We could call in back-up"  
"Do we really have to do this again"  
"No, I'm serious. We could bring a relative in"  
"Who? Where? To do what"  
"Here, to take care of the baby, while Liz is at school," Abbey suggested. "I don't know, Abbey. That makes it seem like we're letting Liz off scot-free"  
"Well, I'm not jeopardizing her education. That comes first. If she's going to ever be able to take care of that baby on her own, she needs an education. And there's no way you and I can do it. We've got two high-powered careers and three kids of our own"  
"True. But…who would we get to move to DC? Wait, are we talking about having someone come live with us"  
"Yeah! Why not"  
"Abbey…" Jed protested.  
"What"  
"I like it with just us. You know how I feel about"  
"Jed, what other choice do we have"  
"I don't know. Let's sleep on it, ok?" He said.  
"You really think you can sleep right now"  
"No"  
"I didn't think so." Abbey looked at him sympathetically.  
"Honey, I know this is hard. And it's gonna require a lot of patience and support on our part. The fact is, she's our daughter and we have to be there, no matter what. We may not approve of what she's done, and God knows we don't condone this kind of thing from her. But what's done is done and there's nothing we can do about it"  
He didn't reply, but she knew he'd been listening and taking heed to her every word. "If Liz can find strength in us, she'll find strength in herself. But if we can't bring ourselves to properly handle the situation, she won't be able to either. And that's not fair to that baby"  
Jed nodded, finally acknowledging what she had been saying. "Ok," he agreed, gloomily.  
She grinned at him. "See? That wasn't so hard"  
"Abbey"  
"What, hon"  
"While I cannot fathom your strength and faith in this situation, I gotta say I'm grateful that at least one of us will be able to handle this well," Jed stated. "No. Not one of us. This is gonna be me and you, buddy. A partnership. An alliance. We're in this together." "If you say so"  
"Jed." She looked at him sternly.  
"All right, we're in this together." "That's right. Can we go to bed now?" She asked, swinging her legs off his lap and standing up. "Uh-uh." He shook his head, grabbed her arm, and pulled her back onto his lap. She laughed and threw her arms around his neck.  
"Not through talking?" Abbey asked.  
"Not in the slightest"  
"Hmm. I thought the chances of us getting any sleep tonight were slim"  
"I need to talk this through, Abbey," he admitted, seriously now. "I know, babe." And she did. She understood and was completely willing to surrender herself to this conversation all night long if that was what it took to make her husband more comfortable in their situation. "I'm all yours." 


	5. Chapter 5

Elizabeth Bartlet paced around her bedroom nervously. Her adrenaline was flowing and she couldn't calm herself down. Anything could happen at this point. What if her parents abandoned her? No, they would never do that. What if they refused to help her and insisted she be completely independent? She wouldn't put it past them. She didn't know what she would do if they didn't give her their support. So many questions were floating through her head. All Liz wanted to do was sleep and chase away the confusion, the dizziness, the surreal essence of the entire situation. But she knew she wasn't going to get any sleep that night, and she knew she wouldn't be the only one. Her parents would be up all night too, she was sure. They weren't exactly concise people. Talking was both of their strong suits. Oh, God. What if this tears them apart? She had seen movies and TV shows where the teenager's pregnancy ripped her parents apart. Liz wouldn't be able to live with herself if that happened, and all because of her.

No. Absolutely not. Mom and Dad would never let something like this distance them. Or would they? No. I have other things to think about, I can't worry about this. I have another life inside me. An innocent, completely unassuming life. Oh, my God. This poor child. It has no choice in all of this. It's stuck with me as a mother, an unwed sophmore in high school! Ha. And Mom wants me to go into politics. I guess that's all shot to hell now. At least she won't be on my back about it. But Dad…he may never be on my back about anything again, period. He may never even speak to me after this. Oh, what have I done?

Suddenly, there was a knock on the door. A knock which nearly made Elizabeth jump out of her skin. "Who is it?" Liz asked, fear plain in her voice. She really wasn't prepared to talk to her parents yet. It was too soon.  
"It's me!" A little voice cried out.  
"And me!" Another followed.  
Ellie and Zoey. Thank God. Liz opened the door and let them in. They looked frightened and very, very young to her. It was as if Liz had turned into an adult over the last few days; she felt decades older than her little sisters. "Lizzie, what's going on?" Zoey asked, mounting herself onto her sister's bed. Ellie followed, and Liz stood before them. "Nothing, guys. Everything's fine," she answered.  
"Nuh uh. Mom and Dad are still downstairs and it's after two in the morning!" Ellie argued. "And Mommy made Aunt Julia drive you home by yourself. What did you do, Lizzie?" Questioned the littlest Bartlet. "It's nothing. Really. Why don't you guys just go back to sleep?" "You don't fool us, Liz," Ellie stated, firmly.  
Eleanor Emily Bartlet was eleven now and nothing got past her. Elizabeth knew she could have easily fooled Zoey, who was still a baby in her eyes, but not with Ellie by her side she couldn't. "Ok. Look. Something happened. Something big. But I think Mom and Dad should tell you"  
"Why"  
"Because. Now go to sleep." "What about the baby?" Zoey asked, innocently.  
Liz was startled.  
"What did you say"  
"The baby. Mommy told Daddy something about a baby. Whose baby is it, Lizzie?" "There is no baby," Liz replied.  
Ellie looked at her in disbelief.  
"You're pathetic, Liz"  
"Hey, pathetic or not, I'm still your big sister and I reserve the right to beat the crap out of you if you don't let this go"  
Ellie rolled her eyes.  
"You've never even come close to beating us up, Liz, and I know you're not about to start now. Mom and Dad are already mad at you. You're not about to do something to get you in even more trouble." Zoey looked confused and although Liz's heart went out to her frightened baby sister, she wasn't going to crack. She sighed.  
"Ok, out"  
Liz gestured for them to get off the bed and with her hands against their backs, guided them to the door.  
"You'll know soon enough." She opened the door.  
"But Lizzie"  
"Liz, come on. Just tell us"  
"Goodnight!" She gently pushed them out the door and closed it tight behind them.  
She hated lying to her sisters. Rarely had Liz not been completely honest with them. Despite the difference in all their ages, the Bartlet girls had always had a unique bond and very little sibling rivalry. Jed and Abbey always considered themselves incredibly lucky to have three such exemplary daughters, who were never a problem. That is, until now.

Despite themselves, every member of the Bartlet family had managed to get a little sleep that night. When Elizabeth awoke the next morning, she rolled over and looked at her clock. 7:06am. She rubbed her eyes, reluctantly got out of bed, and headed down the stairs sleepily. Liz looked over into the living room as she walked down the stairs. She saw that her parents had fallen asleep on the couch, in each other's arms. Good, she said to herself. This isn't going to bring them apart at least. She trudged past them into the kitchen. She checked her mother's work schedule on the refrigerator, just to make sure she didn't need to be awake for work. She didn't. After pouring herself a glass of milk, she started to brew some coffee. She knew her parents would be going through caffeine withdrawal when they woke up. As the coffee brewed, she took her milk and went to sit on the stairs by the living room, lost in thought. Ten minutes later, she heard stirring from the living room and looked down. They were awake. Well, almost. Abbey squirmed and gently untangled herself from Jed. When she sat up, a feeling of dizziness came over her and she fell back onto him, moaning in pain.  
"Hey," he said, lifting her so he could sit up on the couch. When he positioned himself so that his feet were on the ground, he let her fall back into him. "You all right?" Jed asked her.  
She didn't say anything, she only sighed. He placed the back of his hand on her forehead.  
"You're a little warm, honey. Do you feel ok"  
Weakly, she replied, "I'm the doctor here." "Ok then, Dr. Bartlet, do you feel ok"  
She shook her head. "Well, if you want, I can…" Suddenly, he looked up and saw Liz sitting on the stairs watching them.  
"Liz"  
"What?" Abbey questioned, quietly, lifting her head from his lap to see what he was looking at.  
"Liz," she said.  
They're like a broken record when they're together, Liz thought. And now it's the moment of truth.Time to clear the air. Time for them to kick me out of the house and leave me to die in the streets. God give me stength…  
Abbey struggled to sit up and, with Jed's help, she succeeded after a moment. She was about to say something to her daughter when nausea took over. Instantly feeling the need to throw up, Abbey shot up and ran up the stairs past Elizabeth. (The downstairs bathroom needed some repairs done on it and they were having trouble getting a plumber at such short notice)Jed's eyes widened with confusion as he watched her. Liz looked at him with alarm.  
"I'm sure it's just something she ate," Jed said, casually. "Who knows what the caterers put in that food? And you know how food-sensitive your mom is." Elizabeth nodded, uncertainly. She wasn't sure how to act around her father after the way he had spoken to her last night.  
They heard a loud thud, and both assumed either Ellie or Zoey had jumped out of bed with a little too much force, as had been the case many a time before. After that, the silence between them was almost tangible as they waited for Abbey to return downstairs. After a few more minutes, Liz couldn't take it anymore. She had to break the silence.  
"Dad, I"  
Suddenly, Zoey came bounding down the stairs, tears flowing from her eyes.  
"Daddy!" She ran into his arms, sobbing.  
"What's the matter, baby"  
It was then that Elizabeth realized just how young her little sister was. And how peculiar it was for her to be having a baby of her own when her sister was hardly more than a baby herself. Liz heard footsteps on the stairs and turned around. Standing two steps above where she was seated, Ellie stood, a look of sheer panic on her face. Liz quickly looked back down at Zoey and Jed. "Mommy fell in the bathroom!" Zoey exclaimed.  
Jed immediately looked up at Ellie for more.  
"I think she's unconscious, Dad," Ellie said. "Jesus Christ," Jed said under his breath, so as not to scare his daughters, as he bolted up and flew up the stairs. The three younger Bartlets followed close behind him. And, sure enough, there in the bathroom was Abbey. Unconscious and on the floor. To Liz, everything was a blur after that. All she would later remember was thinking 'Well, my parents always were unconventional, and this is one unconventional way to avoid having a conversation.' After that, her ears were pierced by the sound of sirens and the pain of her heart dropping into her stomach became too much to bear. 


	6. Chapter 6

Jed paced back and forth in the waiting room at the hospital. It had been two hours already. Elizabeth, Eleanor, and Zoey sat quietly, not knowing what to do. "Daddy?" Zoey said, quietly.  
"Shh, Zoey," Ellie whispered. "What?" Zoey whined.  
"Zo, just leave Dad alone for a little while, ok? He doesn't know anything you don't know," Elizabeth said.  
Zoey nodded, sadly. Liz reached over and pulled her little sister into her lap and held her.  
"It's ok, Zoey. It's gonna be all right," she said, soothingly. Suddenly the doors to the waiting room burst open and it came in the McGarry family. Jed immediately walked toward them. "Jesus, man, what happened?" Leo said, hugging his best friend. "Is she all right?" Jenny asked, hugging Jed after. Mallory stood behind them shyly, her eyes tear-stained. Jed smiled weakly at her, reassuringly.  
"Hey, Mal"  
Without saying anything, Mallory came into his arms for a hug too. The McGarrys and the Bartlets were inseperable. They were like one big family. When one of them was in the hospital, it affected all of them the same. Jenny titled her head and gestured for Mallory to go over and sit with the Bartlet girls. She did so.  
When Ellie saw her coming, she moved over a seat so Mallory could sit next to Liz. Both Mallory McGarry and Elizabeth Bartlet were sixteen. Their closeness in age resulted in them being the best of friends since before they could remember. "Did you tell them?" Mallory asked.  
Elizabeth nodded.  
"Looks like it went worse than you thought if it landed your mother in the hospital." "No, I told them last night, after the party," Liz answered. "What happened"  
"Dad flipped out, as planned"  
"And Abbey"  
"She was ok about it. Made Aunt Julia drive me home though," she explained.  
"That's not a good sign"  
"Yeah. I think they talked it out last night though. They didn't seem too pissed at me this morning. But then, they didn't have much time to before"  
"Speaking of which. What the hell happened this morning"  
"Well, they woke up, Mom told Dad she was wasn't feeling well- I know because I was sitting on the stairs spying- and then as soon as they saw me, she flew up the stairs to the bathroom like she was gonna throw up. A few minutes later, Zoey and Ellie came downstairs crying saying she was unconscious. And now"  
"Oh, God, Liz. That's horrible. And the doctors haven't told you anything yet?" Mallory asked.  
"Nope. They wheeled her down to emergency and we haven't heard anything since. I think all this waiting is gonna drive my dad to insanity." "Well, I'd be going crazy too if I were him. What do you think is wrong"  
"I don't know. Probably just dehydration or something. She's been working a lot lately. She was actually off today. But she just can't stay away from this damn hospital, can she?" "Liz"  
"Yeah, that was uncalled for. I don't know," Liz said.  
"Are you mad at her or something"  
"No! I just…I don't know. I'm confused right now"  
"I know." Mallory put her around her friend's shoulders. "But no matter what, I'll be there. You know that, right?" Liz smiled.  
"Thanks, Mal."

"She just fainted?" Leo was asking.  
"Out of nowhere?" Jenny wondered.  
"She told me she didn't feel good, and I could tell she had a temperature. Then when she ran to the bathroom, I just figured she'd eaten something that disagreed with her. Next thing I knew she was on the floor and here we are," Jed explained, still pacing the room.  
"Do you think maybe it's dehydration?" Jenny asked.  
"No. She's a doctor, she's good about making sure she drinks her fluids"  
Then, a doctor approached them, one Jed didn't recognize. He thought he knew all the doctors at George Washington General Hospital. "Representative. Senator. Congresswoman." The doctor nodded and greeted Jed, Leo, and Jenny respectively.  
Being that they lived in Washington, the three of them were well-known and highly respected political figures.  
"I'm Dr. Sussin. I've been treating Dr. Bartlet." "How is she?" Jed asked, urgently.  
"She's both conscious and alert"  
They all breathed a sigh of relief.  
"We're just waiting for the test results, which should be returning very soon"  
"But she's ok"  
"Well, she's stable and she's awake and she knows where she is. That's the most important thing right now." He turned to look at Jed. "If you want to go in and see her, you can do that now"  
"Thank you"  
Dr. Sussin left them, and Jed looked at Leo. Leo, in turn, looked at Jenny.  
"I am not leaving my best friend," Jenny said, firmly, referring to Abbey.  
"I'm not leaving mine," Leo agreed, looking at Jed.  
"I'm not leaving mine either," Mallory said, squeezing Elizabeth's hand.  
"There you have it," Leo said.  
Jenny smiled at Leo and nodded.  
"Ok," he said, throwing his keys to his daughter. "Take them back to our house, Mal"  
Mallory caught the keys and grinned.  
"You got it"  
The girls all stood and, one by one, they each gave Jed, Leo, and Jenny a hug.  
"Tell Mom we love her," Ellie said.  
"I will, sweetie," Jed replied.  
"Bye, Daddy," Zoey said, tearfully. "Don't let Mommy die"  
Jed shuddered at the thought, but his composure remained intact for the sake of his daughters.  
"I would kill before I let that happen"  
When the girls left the hospital, the three adults turned in to face each other.  
"You go see Abbey. We'll wait out here," Leo said to Jed.  
"We're not going anywhere," Jenny confirmed.  
"And you let us know the minute you hear something," Leo added.  
"I will. Thank you." And he meant it. He couldn't imagine better friends than the McGarrys.  
With that, he walked off in search of his wife. When he reached her room, he slowly opened the door and peeked in. She was indeed awake. Not only that, but she was propped up by pillow watching The Cosby Show on the TV that hung above her. She saw him as he walked in, and quickly grabbed the remote to turn off the TV.  
"Jed"  
The desperate longing in her voice pierced through his heart and he rushed to her side. Sitting on the bed next to her, he held her hands tightly.  
"How do you feel?" He asked.  
"Nauseous"  
"Did they tell you anything"  
"No. Nothing. They're waiting on test results," Abbey answered.  
"I know. You really gave me quite a scare this morning, Doctor"  
"I'm so sorry. I"  
"Shh." He put his fingers to her lips. "Don't apologize, baby. It's ok. I'm just glad you're all right"  
"For now at least"  
He leaned back into the bed and pulled her against him, his arm tightly around her.  
"Where are the girls"  
"Leo, Jen, and Mallory came and Mal took the girls back to their house," Jed explained.  
"Mallory drove"  
"She's had her licsense a few months now, and Leo and Jenny refused to leave us. And Mallory wouldn't leave Liz"  
"Oh, my God. Liz"  
"She's fine, Abbey," Jed said, coaxingly.  
"No. We never got to talk to her. We have to"  
"It can wait. Elizabeth understands. She's been great all morning"  
"Really? She's been great"  
"She took full charge of Ellie and Zoey while I damn near had a nervous breakdown. And she never put up a fight. Not one complaint," he stated. "We'll talk to her when I come home," Abbey said, but it was more like a question.  
"Of course. Abbey"  
"Hmm"  
"I didn't get a chance to thank you for a last night," Jed said.  
"What about last night"  
"For being so supportive and understanding while I ranted and raved all night. And while I said some things to you that…were extremely uncalled for"  
"Well, you learn to put your own needs second when the man you married is hurting." "I shouldn't have said it, Abbey. I don't blame you for Liz"  
"No, you shouldn't have said it. But I know you didn't mean it," she told him, honestly. "Dammit, Abbey, will you just let me thank you"  
"Sorry"  
"You know, you have a fascinating way of combining self-deprecation with downright pigheadedness that is simply remarkable." They both laughed. But the laughter stopped when Dr. Sussin entered the room, with the test results in hand. 


	7. Chapter 7

"How are we doing in here?" Dr. Sussin asked, walking toward them. They smiled uneasily in response. "Well. I have your test results here." He was grinning from ear to ear. Jed and Abbey exchanged suspicious glances. "Is that a smile you put on to comfort your patients or did you not find anything?" Jed asked.  
"Oh, we found something all right"  
Jed squeezed Abbey's hand reassuringly, both of them scared to death. "We're ready." "Well, it seems that…Abbey's pregnant." Jed frowned with confusion and Abbey's jaw dropped.  
"I'm sorry, what did you say?" Abbey asked. "I said you're pregnant." He looked down at his clipboard. "You're due December 13th." "But…that's impossible. My daughter's pregnant! I can't be pregnant too!" Abbey exclaimed. "Ah, but you can. I thought you of all people would understand that, DOCTOR Bartlet," Dr. Sussin replied. "But…I'm forty-one years old," she protested.  
"I'm aware of that." "Jed"  
He snapped out of his daze.  
"What"  
"You predicted this! Last night. You said 'what if you got pregnant again'! Now look at us!" Abbey exclaimed.  
He ignored her and looked at Dr. Sussin.  
"I don't understand any of this. We haven't had unprotected sex in….oh, no." "What, Jed"  
"Last month. Your parents' house. They took away your pills so we couldn't"  
A look of horror replaced the confused expression on her face.  
"…but we did," she finished.  
"Yeah…we did"  
Dr. Sussin smiled at the exchange between the couple. "Oh, no." "I'm going to leave you two alone so you can"  
"Wait!" Abbey exclaimed. "You're positive about this, Tom"  
"Positive, Abbey. I don't know why you're both so surprised. It's not incredibly uncommon for women your age to become pregnant. After forty-five is when it becomes abnormal," Dr. Sussin said.  
"But my daughter"  
"Yes, I know. Your daughter is pregnant. And she's…how old"  
"Sixteen," Jed answered, ruefully. "When is she due"  
Jed and Abbey looked at each other.  
"We don't know. She never told us." "You should find out. Who knows? You may be looking at a double delivery here"  
"Dear God," Jed whispered. "We should call Liz," Abbey suggested.  
"When can she come home, Doctor?" Jed questioned.  
"I don't see any reason why she can't leave today. I'll get a nurse down here and we'll start preparing your discharge papers." "Thank you," Abbey said, absently. Dr. Sussin laughed and slowly backed out of the room, leaving them alone. Jed reached for the phone next to the bed and began dialing the McGarrys' number. As expected, Mallory answered.  
"Hello"  
"Mal, it's Jed. Can I speak to Liz please?" "Oh, um, sure. One sec"  
A few seconds later, Elizabeth picked up the phone.  
"Dad? Is everything ok?" "Yeah, yeah, everything's fine"  
"Oh, thank God"  
"Listen, when are you due?" Jed asked, bluntly. "When am I…oh. When is the baby due"  
"Yeah"  
"December 10th. Why?" Liz replied.  
Jed looked up, and, as if speaking to God, said, "Anything else"  
"What!" Liz said.  
"Oh. Nothing. Um, we'll be there soon, Liz"  
"Already"  
"Yeah. Tell everyone your mother's fine," Jed said.  
"Ok…I will. And Dad"  
"Hmm"  
"You're not mad at me right?" "No, Liz"  
"Ok. See you soon"  
"Bye, honey"  
He hung up the phone and looked over at Abbey.  
"December 10th." "Oh, my God."

Fifteen minutes later, Jed Bartlet returned to the waiting room. Leo and Jenny stood immediately, anxious to hear an update on Abbey's condition.  
"What's going on"  
"How's Abbey"  
"Oh…she's um, she's fine. They're letting her leave today. We should be ready to go in half an hour or so," Jed told them. "She's fine? That's it?" Leo said. "Uh…yeah. That's it"  
"They don't know why she fainted?" Jenny wondered.  
"Well, actually, there is something"  
"What"  
"Well, we wanted to tell everyone together. Liz has some news as well and we figured we'd get it all out in the open at once." "Jed, you're scaring us," Jenny stated. He smiled.  
"Don't worry." 


	8. Chapter 8

The car ride to the McGarry residence was mostly silent. With Leo and Jenny in the backseat and Jed and Abbey in the front, they felt very divided. Leo and Jenny resented that they weren't given the facts straight away. They didn't like that they had to wait to be told with their children. And they were scared.  
When they entered the house, the two youngest Bartlet girls came running towards them, and threw their arms around Abbey. Elizabeth and Mallory approached Abbey a little slower than Ellie and Zoey, but happily nonetheless. After the initial thrill of Abbey's homecoming (even though she'd only been in the hospital a matter of hours…and she wasn't home, she was at the McGarry's), they all sat down. Zoey and Ellie tried to climb onto the loveseat that Jed and Abbey shared, but Jed shook his head.  
"Go sit over with Liz and Mal, girls," Jed said. Leo and Jenny sat in an adjacent loveseat, and Liz and Mallory had the couch next to them. "But why!" Ellie whined.  
"Because we want to face you when we tell you this," Abbey said. Leo and Jenny exchanged nervous glances. "Ok. Now, as you've probably guessed…we have an announcement to make," Jed began.  
"Cliché as that sounds," Abbey added. "But Elizabeth has an announcement to make first." Liz's eyes widened and she shook her head fervently. "Yes, Liz. You're going to go first, sweetheart," Jed said, almost sarcastically. "Dad!" She hissed back. Leo and Jenny looked alarmed; Ellie and Zoey looked confused. "Go on, Elizabeth." Liz sighed and looked down at the floor, trying to muster up some strength.  
"Ok. Um. I know this….no. I'm sorry but…oh, God. Ok, I'm just gonna say it. I'm pregnant. There. I've said it. I'm pregnant"  
Jenny's eyes widened and Leo's jaw dropped. Ellie pursed her lips and narrowed her eyes. Zoey kept blinking her eyes while her whole face was trembling.  
"You're…you're gonna have a baby, Lizzie?" Zoey asked, quietly. "Yes, Zoey. I'm gonna have a baby." She almost choked saying it. It still hadn't fully registered in her. Mallory put her arm around Liz.  
"It's ok, Liz. You're ok," she whispered. Liz nodded back, waiting for a response from Ellie, Leo, and Jenny.  
"Well," was all Leo could bring himself to say. Jenny immediately looked at Mallory.  
"You too"  
"What!" Mallory replied, shocked.  
"I suppose you're pregnant too," Jenny elaborated.  
"What? No! Why would you think that"  
"Because you and Liz do everything together. Wouldn't surprise me if you both got pregnant together"  
"Mom, I'm not pregnant," Mallory insisted. "Jen, calm down," Abbey said. "Why aren't you more upset about this, Abbey!" "Well, I've had a day to let it sink in. And because I have a little more on my plate now," she answered. They had forgotten. Jed and Abbey had their own announcement they had yet to make. "Ok, your turn," Liz said to her parents. "Please, for the love of God, take the spotlight off of me." Jed and Abbey looked at each other tentatively. He nodded, and she took the plunge.  
"Well. Believe it or not…Liz isn't the only one in this room carrying a baby"  
Silence.  
"In case you're all slower than I thought…I'm pregnant. Too. Also." The announcement was met with stoic, nonemotional faces that left Jed and Abbey wondering how the matching voices would react…  
Liz started laughing, and shaking her head with disbelief.  
"Nice try, guys, but you didn't have to do that. When I said take the spotlight off me…I mean, that was just a figure of speech." Zoey started laughing as well.  
"That's silly, Mommy." Jenny breathed a sigh of relief.  
"You really had us going there for a minute." "You guys are too much," Mallory added. Jed and Abbey looked at each other. They hadn't expected that. "This is no joke," Jed stated, firmly. Silence took over once again.  
"Wha…you…you're really pregnant, Mom?" Elizabeth asked, as if she was terrified. "Oh my God!" Jenny exclaimed. "Abbey?" "But…you're too old to have a baby, Mom," Ellie pointed out. Abbey's eyes narrowed and she frowned. "Obviously not," she replied, haughtily. "Your mother is not old, Eleanor. Forty-one hardly puts her in a nursing home," Jed defended her. "You're really serious?" Leo asked, quietly. "Yeah!" Jed exclaimed, matter-of-factly. "Well," Leo said. "I don't know what shocks me more. Abbey or Liz." "Wait a second. We can't both be pregnant at the same time. That has to be…illegal or something," Liz argued. "No law against it, Liz," Jed replied. "Then it has to be a law of nature. This isn't right. No…you can't be"  
"Abbey, did you…plan this?" Jenny asked. Abbey laughed.  
"What do you think"  
"I'm gonna take that as a no." "Well…I say congratulations," Mallory said, smiling. Although Jed and Abbey were surprised, they smiled back.  
"Thank you, Mallory!" "You're welcome." She nodded, with pride. "Ditto that," Jenny said. "Me too," Leo agreed.  
"Yay, Mommy!" Zoey cried. Jed and Abbey grinned. That was reaction they had initially hoped for. Elizabeth leaned back on the couch. She knew that her pregnancy had disappointed everyone, but it didn't seem fair for them to congratulate her parents, but make her feel as if she'd committed a crime. And she had never felt more alone. 


	9. Chapter 9

After an hour of talking and so-called celebration, the Bartlets decided it was time they made their departure. It had been quite a day, to say the least. The car ride home was relatively normal. Ellie and Zoey bickering, and Jed and Abbey conversing about something or other. But Liz, who would normally be trying to either mediate between her sisters or get in on the adults' conversation, sat quietly without a word. When they got back to the house, Ellie immediately ran to the backyard to practice her soccer moves. Zoey plopped herself on the floor in the front of the TV. Elizabeth marched right on up the stairs to her room and closed the door. "One of us should go talk to Liz," Abbey said. "I think maybe both of us should go talk to Liz," Jed said. "Yeah." She nodded.

They walked up the stairs, stopped when they got to Liz's closed bedroom door, and knocked.  
"Liz"  
"What?" She called from inside.  
"Can we come in"  
"I guess"  
They opened the door and found her laying on her bed, staring at the ceiling. She sat up when they walked in. Abbey slowly walked over and sat beside Liz on the bed, and Jed sat on Liz's other side. "Oh, no. Here it comes," Liz said, drearily, leaning back down. "Liz"  
"And here I'd thought I had gotten out of it." "Liz, we need to talk about this," Abbey said. "Talk," she told them. "Look, I know I may have reacted badly last night. But you knocked me sideways, Liz. How was I supposed to react!" Jed said.  
"I know, Dad," Liz replied, quietly. "But we don't want you to get the wrong idea," Abbey stated.  
"That's right. Don't think we're not gonna be there for you. We're your parents. You can always count on us"  
Liz's eyes filled with tears. "This is gonna be harder than anything you've ever done. Especially because you are not leaving school, young lady. Throughout your pregnancy and even after the baby is born, you are not dropping out. I don't care what we have to do to keep you in school, but whatever it is, we'll do it. Needless to say, the kids at school might not be the most understanding about all of this," Abbey said.  
"But you should have thought of that when you"  
"Jed"  
"You just should have considered that first," he rephrased. "I know," Elizabeth answered. Jed laughed suddenly.  
"And I don't know what the hell I'm gonna do with two pregnant, hormonal women in the house, but we'll get through it. No cop outs, ya hear"  
Liz smiled.  
"Ok"  
"And I want you to talk to your sisters about this. They're confused and they don't understand what's going on. Especially Zoey. Sit them down and tell them everything. Well. Not everything," Abbey said, blushing. "And make sure you tell them that we don't condone what you've done. This is not an opportunity for you to advertise sex before marriage. They need to know that it's wrong, and they need to hear it from you," Jed added. "We know you're scared, Liz. You have every right to be. But just know that we're here every step of the way"  
"Thanks, guys." She was nearly crying when she leaned in and hugged them both tightly.  
"I think I'm gonna take a nap now. I'm feeling really tired all of a sudden," Liz said.  
Abbey laughed.  
"Get used to that, sweetheart." Jed and Abbey stood up and started for the door. "Hey, Liz," Jed said, turning back around. "I didn't get a chance to tell you this last night, with everything that went on and such. But…happy birthday, baby." Liz grinned.  
"Thanks, Dad." Her parents left the room and Elizabeth Bartlet fell asleep feeling more loved than she ever had in her young life.

THE END 


End file.
